Happy Families are All Alike
by nightkitty555
Summary: ...Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Why do certain students choose to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays? From the Boy Who Lived to the idyllic Weasley family, to Malfoy heir, to the intelligent and responsible Hermione Granger.
1. 1991

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter- JK Rowling and Warner Brothers do. I also don't own the quote from the book Anna Karenina either, though it is in public domain- and translated from Russian, so translations vary slightly. (There is no resemblance in this story to the actual book, Anna Karenina)

" **Happy families are all alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."**

— Leo Tolstoy in _Anna Karenina_

 **1991**

Students known to be remaining at Hogwarts- Harry Potter, Fred George Percy and Ron Weasley.

Faculty/Staff: Albus, Filius, Minerva, Rubeus, Argus, Severus

*Ron*

Ron had happily told Harry that he'd stay with him at Hogwarts over the holidays months ago. It would just be the two of them in all of Gryffindor Tower- no one to look at Harry weird or refer to Ron as "little Weasley." He was _taller_ than some of the blokes who had called him that. And he _wasn't_ the youngest Weasley. Ginny was still too little to even come to Hogwarts yet.

So it was going to be great, wandering around an empty Hogwarts.

But then his parents said that they were going to go to Romania to visit Charlie and asked if the boys would be okay at Hogwarts. But they didn't ask in a way that made Ron think he could beg to come along. It was basically just polite abandonment. Even though _he_ hadn't seen Charlie in ages, barely at all that summer, and _Ginny_ got to go. When he and Ginny were both at home, his parents hadn't taken the two of them anywhere cool like Romania.

So, now the twins and Percy would be stuck at Hogwarts too, and it wasn't sounding like it was going to be the special, unique Christmas he had imagined. It was one thing to want to be away from your family, but really different for your family not to want _you_ there.

*Severus*

The holidays were as insufferable as the rest of the year. He would almost welcome the distraction of hundreds of miscreants to be responsible- which was the second or third step to insanity.

But Harry Potter was the worst, and that brat wouldn't even leave! Muggle family not good enough for the boy? Though Severus had never cared for Petunia. Seeing that boy was the worst. The face, the hair reminded him of the parts of childhood he hated most.

But those eyes were worse still, reminding him of the family he never had.

A few more drinks and he would be just like his father.

A few more after that, and he wouldn't care.

*Percy*

He would have stayed anyway, of course, even if he didn't have to. It was his duty as a prefect to monitor Gryffindor Tower. Even though none of the other Gryffindor Prefects had stayed. Even though the only Gryffindors who had stayed at all were his younger siblings and Harry Potter.

But he had to be an example for the family, and young Harry as well. It was his duty not only as a prefect, but also as the oldest Weasley left at Hogwarts. Charlie had told him that when he graduated, and Percy respected both of his older brothers, even though Charlie was somewhat less… traditionally successful that William Weasley, Head Boy, whom Percy hoped to follow. He would be fine at Hogwarts. They would all be fine.

*Fred*

You weren't supposed to have favourite family. He wasn't even sure if George had favourites, though he hoped _he_ was worth being George's. But for Fred, even if he wouldn't admit it, it was always clear: George, Mum (except when she was scariest), Dad, Bill, Ginny, Charlie, Ron, and Percy. They were all great- or at least he loved them all, even Percy. But now, Mum and Dad were picking Charlie above the rest, and they weren't supposed to have favourites. Ron might surpass Charlie just for that, and Fred felt terrible for even thinking that because he loved them both. It just hurt.

Last Christmas, it had been Charlie's last Christmas in school, and they all knew that he was going to take off after graduation, whatever crazy place he could get away to. Even Bill was able to come home for it, when Bill had missed the Christmas before. So Fred was prepared to miss both Bill and Charlie, but for everything to go on like normal other than that.

It was because they were poor. They didn't talk about it, but everyone knew that they were. Dad was underappreciated, underpaid and if honest, underachieving- one of the other things he'd never say out loud. And Mum had her hands full with things that didn't pay, and he would never begrudge that. They wouldn't be anything without her.

But none of that was going to be him. He and George were going to be really successful at something one day. The two of them would have so much money that they could take the whole family wherever they wanted to go. In fact, maybe it was time to start working on some of those ideas.

*Harry*

 _Thrilled_. Harry was thrilled that he didn't have to go back to the Dursleys. He had two full weeks to be at Hogwarts without even having classes, and he didn't even have to think about Dudley or his aunt and uncle. He didn't have to watch Dudley open literally dozens of presents when he would get nothing- or an old cast off of Dudley's- or a _mop_.

It would be even better if Hermione had been able to stay, but he knew she wanted to see her family. At least Ron was there with him. And the rest of the Weasley children were too, actually.

It was the best Christmas he had ever had. He had never seen so many present all for him. Hagrid had given him a cool flute, and Hermione had sent some chocolate frogs. Mrs. Weasley's jumper was almost as good of a gift as Hedwig, and the fudge was great too. And then, he got an invisibility cloak, which was not only the coolest magic he had seen yet, but also something that had belonged to his _dad_.

So it didn't _matter_ that the Dursleys had just sent him a fifty pence piece, because that was probably the best thing they'd given him in years, and he didn't even have to see them and cook for them food and clean the house and deal with Aunt Marge. And _he_ had a magic cloak, and the coolest thing Dudley got was probably a third Gameboy or something.

It didn't matter that his family never acted like they loved him, even a little.

*Filius*

Holidays were wonderful, especially amusing this year, watching the younger Weasleys' antics. He did not envy Minerva's position, but sometimes wondered how their lives would have been different, had she been over Ravenclaw and he over Gryffindor. Mostly, he enjoyed the quiet of his students.

The summer was too empty though, and winter nearly so. The children were like his own, and the castle was… lacking without him. He had never cared for small children as a young man, even when he was one himself. This was for the better, as his questionable bloodline and stature would have made finding… such things difficult. But now he had a few hundred children who were all his, and he would be happier when they returned. But until then, he would laugh and joke, and generally enjoy the time, even if it wasn't perhaps perfect.

*George*

"AndGeorge." It felt like that was his name sometimes. Their gifts arrived in one bundle from home, jumper with an "F" on it, jumper with a "G" on it, and one, large block of fudge to split.

Almost every gift from his friends was exactly the same thing as Fred had received. One year they even got two copies of the same quidditch book- why would they need two of the same book when they could get two different books and then switch? Not that he would say out loud that he wouldn't mind reading more…

It had hurt more than he would admit that whenever Fred pretended to be him in jest, no one ever caught on, even their own mother. They weren't _that_ identical. But he always had someone who understood, so he was luckier than most people, wherever they were spending Christmas that year.

*Rubeus*

Harry. That was a lad that he saw himself in. No family, all alone, stuck out 'bit.

Wanted to get a picture album together for the lad, but hadn't been ready in time, so sent the flute instead. Not the sort o' thing young lads played now days.

Boy was better off at Hogwarts, greatest place in the world when feeling down.

Rubeus'd already been to see Fluffy, brought him his present. Dumbledore hadn't been up on the idea o' getting a friend for Fluffy, but he hadn't outright said no. Maybe next year after a bit 'searchin. Dumbledore was good like that.

Bit o' a trip to the pub was what he really needed wasnit? Most interesting blokes were there.

*Minerva*

She couldn't believe she hadn't objected to Hagrid's kiss during the feast. How _improper_? But a bit of wine did make the holidays brighter.

She learned that her youngest niece had named Minerva's newest grand-niece after her. Minerva Dewell. It was so wonderful and flattering that it was almost the same…

*Argus*

It was the best time of the year until summer when every last brat would leave. But Christmas was good, except for the mess that they made in the Great Hall.

He had a new toy for Mrs. Norris that he thought she would like.

*Albus*

He had watched Harry carefully after giving him the cloak. It was interesting to know learn what the boy would do. And of course Harry Potter found his way into the place Albus wanted to visit least.

The elves had gotten the mirror to the castle, but Albus was to take it down below the third floor corridor himself, so that none of the other professors would know of the stone's final protection, the only one that Albus was confident would work.

Albus had delayed thus far out of not wanting to see it. Because sometimes one's greatest desire was mixed with too much pain, because he couldn't have it. The family that was so torn asunder, and himself owning so much of the blame.

His own brother, his little brother and only remaining family, lived just outside of the Hogwarts grounds, and Albus wouldn't even be sending him socks (and now Albus could not think of socks without being reminded that he had just told Harry that _socks_ were his greatest desire). But, of course, Aberforth wouldn't send him anything either.

But now the mirror had to be moved, to protect young Harry as much as the stone. Severus would do it if Albus asked, but Albus was well aware of how much pain that would put on another still young man.

 **A/N: Please, let me know what you think! If you think you'll like it, please follow, and I will post a new chapter, I hope every week until it is over.**

 **I would suggest an excellent essay that I used in reference called "Not Just FredandGeorge" by Josie Kearns. It can boil down to: Fred is the one that more often instigates jokes and is an all-around leader, whereas among the two of them, George is more often the relative voice of reason and also more often seen helping others.**

 **I have issues with the way the site formats such small pieces, but have difficulty adding extra spaces.**


	2. 1992

1992

Students remaining at Hogwarts: Harry Potter, Fred George Ginny Percy and Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Penelope Clearwater, "several" unnamed Slytherins (I assume that they are not in Harry's year or on the quidditch team, and have not been named in canon up to this point or possibly ever)

*Draco*

" _I do feel sorry for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."_

Those words that he said just a year ago haunted him now. Because even with a mysterious attacker petrifying Hogwarts students, he'd rather be here than at home.

And he didn't really think that this "Heir of Slytherin" would go after him. He was as Slytherin as anyone. More, really. The Sorting Hat had barely touched in before putting him in Slytherin after all, the fastest sorting in their year. That had to mean something. Though he didn't _really_ want to congratulate the heir if he found out who he was. If Draco could get away with reporting him anonymously, he probably would. Still, it paid to be on the same side as the biggest threat.

His mother had practically begged him to come home. Draco had said that everything was so interesting at Hogwarts, he couldn't afford to leave, or something like that. Implied it was for his studies, when really, it just felt too weird at home. How could a dungeon feel more… "cosy" than his room in the house he grew up in?

The older students didn't like him. No one really did, except possibly Crabbe and Goyle, but they were idiots. They were only staying at Hogwarts because Draco was. He wasn't sure or not whether he was glad for the company. Despite it not being perfect, no one would say anything unkind to him because of who his father was and what the Malfoy family name meant. And that was better than whatever tension there was at "home," even if Draco couldn't quite put what the problem was into words.

*Hermione*

Hermione read the note a second time, a cheery letter written in alternating fashion by both her parents, saying how happy they would be to have her home. And now she had to write them saying she wouldn't be coming. Since they didn't know any better, she'd lie and say that almost all students stayed over the holidays, and she would be behind in her studies if she didn't. The more time she spent in the magical world, the more lies she told to her parents.

But it _was_ very important that she stay. They had to gain entrance to the Slytherin Common Room and question Draco Malfoy, and Harry and Ron would never be able to finish the potion without her. It had… stung more than she wished to admit that the boys had made a major development in tracking Nicholas Flamel the winter before. She should have been there too.

She didn't want to be left out now, which is why she had grabbed a hair from Millicent Bulstrode. It was crazy, reckless to walk in as Millicent with Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione wasn't even sure if Millicent talked to the others, so she would be unsure how to act. And even if they did believe her that she returned to the castle on Christmas Day, surely someone would notice when she disappeared again. Maybe they would even ask the real Millicent about it when she returned. They were all around more likely to get caught, or at least make potentially very dangerous Slytherins very suspicious… but the boys hadn't noticed anything wrong with it, and she couldn't be left out. They would need her guidance.

Morose thinking got her nowhere. It only made her wonder if their current plan was crazy. Surely teachers suspected Draco Malfoy as well and had already investigated? And how could a second year really cause that much havoc? They didn't even know a stunning spell, much less a way to petrify people. But why hadn't Draco Malfoy gone home for the holidays?

Nearly everyone else had left the castle. But, if you didn't count the Weasley family, the majority of the remaining students were from Slytherin. If the Heir of Slytherin wasn't Malfoy, it was probably one of the older Slytherin students who remained.

It wasn't that she was unhappy at home… not precisely. They just didn't understand. Sometimes she thought her parents were still hoping that she would return home and rejoin muggle school. They had hinted last summer that she was so intelligent, she could easily jump back in with her former peers. She might not be in the top class sections, but she'd work back up. Not being the top of the class… was simply unacceptable.

The holidays were the worst, because she would see extended family. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, all wanting to hear how _Algebra_ was going, or what great _literature_ she was reading. She had always talked more easily with adults that children. Only now, she had nothing to say other than lies.

*Ethan Rosier*- one of several unnamed Slytherins

The holidays would be cheerier if he had a family. Or maybe it wouldn't. Seemed like his family wasn't so great. His father getting caught and killed as a death eater didn't do wonders for the family name. Those of the "light" wouldn't associate with the family- and those of the "dark" wouldn't want to be seen doing so. When he turned seventeen, he might just change his name.

He had a grandmother on one side, a grandfather on the other, and he'd always bounced back and forth. Sometimes one of them wanted him for the holidays, but more often when he was younger. Neither asked this year, and he wasn't going to crawl to them. He was fine on his own. But maybe he would leave his empty room and see what Gemma was doing.

*Percy*

He needed to stay and to put the best face on it, because their parents didn't have enough money to take them all to Egypt. Just like the year before when they hadn't had the money to take them all to Romania. But the _next_ year would be his last at Hogwarts, so surely they would spend that last year at home. And then, after that, he had envisioned joining the Ministry and remaining in the country, unlike his elder brothers. It was too late to change his mind and consider alternatives now. He was already a sixth year, a term into his NEWT classes, and anyone who mattered had their career mapped out over a year ago.

He said whenever anyone would listen that he was needed to remain behind at the castle for his prefect duties. He phrased it as a matter of choice, because that was the best thing he could do as a role model for his younger siblings.

And it had given him the opportunity to enjoy the company of his fellow prefect, Miss Penelope Clearwater.

*Ginny*

Her parents didn't want her there now. She was all grown up and on her own. Her brothers didn't really look after her. No one did. No one understood everything she was going through.

She was beginning to think that Tom didn't even understand. He had been so easy to talk to, seemed to understand everything, but that was weird. No one could understand.

Maybe it was worse than that. Maybe he was… making her do things. Terrible things. It was good that almost everyone was gone from the castle, because then she couldn't hurt them. Good that her parents didn't care about seeing her, because she might kill them.

Maybe everything was her fault.

But what could she do? No one would believe that she hadn't wanted to do those things. She's be expelled when going to Hogwarts was all she had wanted to do since she was born. And that little voice told her that she couldn't betray Tom, because he was her only friend, and then she'd really have no one.

*Richard Jones*- one of several unnamed Slytherins

He'd said his parents were dead. He mostly didn't think about that, but it had to come up in the holidays, because he couldn't go home to dead parents, could he? He had had to learn quickly after being sorted into Slytherin that everyone was a pure-blood- or at least they pretended to be. Probably there were others like him, also well-hidden so no one really knew. That was the point after all, and any muggle-born sorted into Slytherin House was cunning enough to make it work. He was lucky that he had a common enough last name that anyone would have trouble proving that he did or did not belong on a family tree.

When the questions had come up of what his parents' jobs were, and he didn't want to say that they were an insurance salesman and a sous-chef, the easiest lie was that they were dead. It also had the positive consequence of people not asking any more questions.

So, he hadn't gone home for Christmas that first year, because he hadn't come up with a way to get home without his parents coming to the station, so he said that none of his distant relatives could keep him for Christmas- something about being out of the country and it not being worth the trip, and he made the story good enough to pass. By the end of spring term, he just gave his parents a time a few hours late and met them on the muggle side of the terminal, but he came up with that idea too late for Christmas.

And by then, he had convinced his parents that Hogwarts didn't _have_ a winter holiday, so now he was stuck with it, for years now. It was a good lie- the traditional winter holiday was essentially for Christmas, and Christmas was originally a Christian holiday, and wizards didn't really seem to be very religious of any kind, or very connected to the Muggle government.

He had friends, pretty good ones, he thought, but none of them really knew much about him. It was exhausting. Winter holiday was nice just to relax and have fewer people to lie to. But it would be nice to be with his family, his little sister.

Maybe he'd tell them next year that it was a new policy.

*Fred*

Itching powder. It was a needed ingredient in their latest idea, but maybe he'd slip some straight into one of Percy's jumpers. Maybe they'd wait until Christmas to strike on the newest Weasley jumper.

It wasn't that he minded getting ditched at Hogwarts again. It was that they minded Percy going on about it whenever he or George were in hearing that they had to put the "best face on it" for Ron and Ginny. They got it, Mum and Dad were poor, and Percy could leave them alone.

*Penelope*

It was for the better, really, to be at the castle. Better for her academic endeavors to be closer to such wonderful academic resources that she wouldn't have at home- where her mother practically ignored her own magic, spent her days as hardly more than a muggle like Penelope's father- not that Penelope didn't love her father- he did the best he could. But that wasn't Penelope. She was bright, a hard worker, and ambitious and would be successful in the magical world. She could have done well in any of the houses really.

Though perhaps she was better off with her heritage not being in Slytherin. And she didn't think she possessed particular bravery, but she was at least as brave as Percy Weasley. Though Percy had been the one who had asked her out, and that was some sort of social bravery, she supposed.

And they had spent some enjoyable time together.

*Cassius Warrington*

Not good enough. He'd taken Arithmancy and Runes to impress… someone who wasn't worth caring about or he'd be at home for Christmas now. His marks weren't where they were "supposed" to be the year before his OWLs, and because he took those stupid electives he didn't care about… He probably couldn't do something cool when he graduated anyway… like training security trolls.

He hadn't made the quidditch team as a second year like he was supposed to. He hadn't made it as a third or fourth year either. It wasn't his fault they didn't even have try outs this year. The team would be better if talentless little kids couldn't buy their way on the team.

Maybe if he didn't make the quidditch team next year he'd just try to pass as many OWLs as he could, and then never come back. He didn't belong and wouldn't stay in this damned dungeon to impress someone who wasn't worth it.

*Harry*

Everything was great. They had a plan to figure out what was happening in the castle, and it would work out. It had to, because Harry belonged here, so they had to fix Hogwarts.

Christmas was great. He got lots of gifts from people who cared about him. Lots of people cared about him.

But from his " _family_ ," Harry received a toothpick and a note asking if he could stay at Hogwarts over summer holiday as well. Because when they kept him locked up in his room with bars on his windows and locks on his door last summer, they hadn't even used him for slave labor, the only thing the Dursleys had ever thought Harry was good for.

Harry didn't know why Hedwig even bothered going there to pick up whatever they might throw together to send off to him. Getting anything from them just put a black mark on an otherwise perfectly good holiday. But, the idea that maybe she pecked at them until they sent him something did make Harry smile.

Hogwarts was his home. Even if people thought he was some heir of Slytherin just because he could talk to snakes… But he'd prove them wrong. It was definitely Malfoy, or at least someone Malfoy could tell them about. It had to be. Because it couldn't be Harry, even if he was the only one who could talk to snakes.

*Vincent*

Draco was going off on his own and they didn't know what they were supposed to do. Father said to stay at Hogwarts because Draco was.

And then when Draco was gone, something weird happened and he and Gregory ended up in a closet with shoes gone, so he'd try harder to stay next to Draco. Draco always had good plans, just like Father. Except this plan of Draco's and Father's wasn't fun for him and he would rather be at home.

*Ron*

One day, his parents would visit _him_ for Christmas. When he was playing for the Chudley Cannons, they'd come to wherever the Canons were that week, and he would get them free tickets to the game in the best seats. And they would be there just to see _him_ , not any of his older brothers or his little sister.

It would have been more than worth it if Malfoy had been guilty. Who else could it possibly be? At least he'd get to have his dad investigate the Malfoy house with some insider information. As soon as his dad got back from Egypt.

*Gemma Farley*- one of several unnamed Slytherins

She was in Slytherin because she was ambitions, wasn't she? Well, she had ambition to do far more than marry some man who was three times her age no matter _what_ his last name was. Wives of the rich and powerful were no more than that- nameless hangings-on. Wizard society professed equality, but a glance at the gender composition of the Ministry would profess a truer picture. Such wives had no real power until they produced heirs and their husbands died.

And Danel Burke already had heirs, and his wife had been the one with the mysterious death when she had been a healthy woman barely past forty.

No, Gemma would rise to be a Ministry Department Head at the least, and that would not be helped by marrying that man, even if he was part of the stupid " _Sacred Twenty-Eight._ " It was ridiculous, and she was just as pure-blood as anyone else, more so than almost all of them, even her fellow Slytherins.

She told bright-eyed little first years that blood status wasn't that important anymore, but that was a lie. Sure, there were plenty of half-bloods, maybe even a couple of muggle-borns around, but no one talked about it. And they shouldn't talk about it if they wanted to keep their standing. Then again, if she were a half-blood, she wouldn't be in this mess, so maybe they had it right.

And if her parents wanted her to spend the holidays pretending to flirt with this repulsive man, even going as far as signing her life away to him… then she would just stay at school and they could send as many howlers as they wanted. She knew how to silence them, and all of the family owls liked her better than them anyway, and would find her discretely so she wouldn't have any embarrassment.

They couldn't even disown her because she was an only child. She could play this little game of theirs until it became her own.

*George*

He was going to have a family one day. He wasn't preoccupied about finding the girl- finding love. When it came down to it, he was pretty good at getting along with most people, almost anyone. Fred was the one that caused more friction, but it was usually fun.

Kids was what he wanted- maybe not what most fourteen-year-old boys thought about, but he was a family man, and he thought about it a lot, especially when he wasn't around his own family. Of course, half of them were at Hogwarts with him now, but… it didn't feel the same.

Maybe he wouldn't have seven like his parents did, but at least two for sure. Maybe five or so at most- not that he'd wish away Ron and Ginny if he could. It would depend on what his future wife wanted, he supposed, though he wouldn't marry someone who didn't want at least two- it would be dumb for them to even date and get attached.

But all of it was nice to think about. To think about someday.

*Gregory*

Didn't get to eat Mum's cake because of Draco. But elves cook good too.

 **A/N: Perhaps even less distinct in canon than Fred and George, we have Crabbe and Goyle. The most pressing distinction seems to be that Crabbe is seen as the relatively more intelligent of the two (Harry hopes that Goyle will fail his first year exams), and later becomes more of a leader between the two (protests Draco's treatment of them in book 6). And then there is his casting of fiendfyre, impressive even though he couldn't control it.**

 **Please review to let me know what you think!**


	3. 1993

1993

Students remaining at Hogwarts- Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, two nervous looking first years (one a boy named Derek), and a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year.

*Ron*

Mum probably cried when he wrote that he wasn't coming home. Thought it was nicer than just not showing up on the train, and Percy would have figured it out and ratted on him first anyway. But he'd spent the first two Christmases in school still at Hogwarts, so why should this one be any different? Just because Mum and Dad weren't off exploring the world without them all _this_ year.

Besides, Harry and Hermione were staying. They'd probably give Harry permission to come to the Burrow too if Ron asked, though maybe not with Sirius Black loose. And Hermione would probably rather spend it with her family anyway, and she wouldn't feel like she had to stay if he and Harry left. And he and Hermione were fighting more and more often… maybe they could use some time apart. And some time with Scabbers away from that brute. So maybe friends weren't why he wanted to stay, or at least not all of it.

Maybe he wanted Mum and Dad to feel a little of the rejection he felt as an eleven-year-old homesick first year who couldn't go home for Christmas because his parents made other plans. And then they'd done it again the next year too, but they expected _this_ Christmas to be a big happy family? He would just rather stay at school.

*Harry*

He had a _godfather_. Someone who could have raised him so that he never would have had to go to the Dursleys and be hated for his entire childhood. Except he didn't get to have good things like that in his life. He didn't get a real family. His godfather was a mass murderer, so _way_ worse than even the Dursleys.

He tried to be grateful that he had what he did- Hermione and Ron were both there with him when they could have been with their families- and it… hadn't been a great year with everyone being tense and the dementors being around and all… but they were sticking it out with him.

*Cassius Warrington*- sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year

At least he had the Slytherin common room to himself this year. He didn't need anyone else around, least of all that little idiot Malfoy. The little rat had gotten their game against Gryffindor rescheduled, so the first term was already over, and Cassius hadn't gotten to play in a single game. What was the point of even being on the damned team?

And why was everyone gone this year? More afraid of Sirius Black than the mysterious thing petrifying students? Black was probably just going to kill some more muggles- and maybe Harry Potter. If he did, Gryffindor would be easy to beat at quidditch, and he might have to actually _thank_ the Malfoy brat, then at least they would win and not be a disappointment.

*Nicola* -unnamed first year

Divorced parents were easy to fool, especially from far away. Telling Mum that she would be with Dad, and vice versa. It wouldn't work every year, because they'd both start to feel left out, upset that she always wanted to spend the holidays with one over the other- she'd had enough trouble convincing both that she couldn't just split time because they had a fabulous vacation planned- somewhere warm because she hated this cold. On that note, she could probably actually convince one of them to go for a tropical vacation next year, and then she'd be set.

It wasn't that she didn't love her parents or think that they didn't love her- they certainly spent enough time telling her that they did- but she was real tired of hearing them insult each other, and wanted… just a little more of a break. And to see if she could get away with it.

Divorce- or whatever it was- wasn't common among wizards. She had never heard the word before Derek, but he said muggle parents split up all the time and it wasn't that big of a deal, but it wasn't something other witches had to deal with.

So it was nice to have some time alone, without the other girls on in her dorm. She could go a whole day without seeing anyone when she wanted to, but she liked going to find Derek- and he'd spend a lot of time in the owlery, so he was easy to find. Maybe he did it so he _was_ easy to find. He was easy to talk to. His parents weren't split up, but they also didn't seem… super supportive, so everyone had stuff to deal with.

*Remus*

Albus gave him a Christmas gift that year, a new cloak. Remus didn't want to wear it. Maybe he wouldn't, but it was now the nicest thing he owned. He wasn't feeling the Christmas spirit when he was to spend that evening as a beast.

Still, it had been… quite a few years since he had last received a Christmas present. It was thoughtful.

*Pomona*

It had been a few years since she had spent the holidays at Hogwarts. Usually she wintered with one part of family or another. But, since one of her Hufflepuffs was staying this year, she felt the obligation to look after the poor dear. It simply didn't do to spend Christmas away from home. And Derek was a shy child, not the type to reach out to her, though she made sure he knew he door was always open- not literally- when she was in one of the higher numbered greenhouses, the door was very much closed.

But, at least the child seemed to have made a new friend with the other little first year. She seemed like a sweet girl.

*Derek*

"Derek, have you had any of these chipolatas? They're excellent."*

His hands might have trembled as he accepted the plate of sausages from the Headmaster. He was raised vegetarian. Of course, he was also raised to believe that witches and magic didn't exist, and if they did exist, they were probably evil.

It was only the Deputy Headmistress's insistence that very, very bad things happened to young wizards who tried to suppress their magic instead of learn to control it that he was here at all. His parents said he could come home once he knew how to control it, and be sure that nothing unexplained happened. He didn't _think_ anything would happen now, but he didn't think the new television would… break either. They hadn't said anything about the next September, and Derek didn't want to ask. They had sent him with a year's worth of normal school books too… as if he had time for all of that.

Derek didn't put any of the chipolatas on his plate, but the Headmaster had moved on in the conversation anyway. Derek was shocked that the man knew his name at all. He was a good man and all, but Derek would have preferred not to have ended up sitting next to the headmaster, but he had wanted to sit next to Nicola. She was cool and way better at this magic stuff.

The break from school was good, some time to breathe. He'd get through it all somehow.

*Sybill*

No respect for her talents, for her _art_! She had ventured down for the holiday happenings only to be insulted personally and for her profession! It only reinforced her conviction that the poor Potter boy would die horribly and tragically young. She credited herself with his journey towards acceptance of this misfortune, even if the predictions he had made had been a little farfetched. Perhaps she should start making the same predictions for young Mister Weasley, but that did seem to dilute and diminish the effect.

Still, couldn't the lovely Miss Brown or Patil have stayed instead of Miss _Granger_? Albus was always kind, but it would have served her better to see another friendly face for the holidays.

*Moony*

The wolf was hurting. Remus could feel it even as he kept his sanity during the transformation due to the wonders of Wolfsbane.

Wolves were pack animals, but he had never wanted to seek out other werewolves like so many others of his kind. Because he had had a pack and lost it. For a handful of glorious years, those nights were exciting. Even after graduation, at least one of either Sirius or James would join him- more often Sirius because James was… busy starting his own little pack- or herd. And Peter had come when he could. They had agreed to never completely trust the wolf with only their rat friend. It was nothing against Peter personally.

They were a strange pack, two canines perhaps not the strangest companions, but the deer and the rat? But they were perfect.

And Remus knew that it was just being back at this place where they met- back at Hogwarts- or maybe it was seeing Harry who looked so much like James- or thinking of… Sirius's escape… but Moony would swear, try to tell Remus that they were all there, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. All there but just out of his reach.

But that was just the senseless beast talking.

*Padfoot*

It was a full moon and he wasn't with his friend like he was supposed to be. Pack. He hadn't trusted Remus Lupin, the greatest among them, because he had somewhere deep down let that prejudice get to him. He had trusted the rat instead.

He knew that Remus was at the school- had even seen him when he had dared to go to the quidditch game to try to see Harry.

Harry.

The dementors must have sensed him, even in dog form. That was why they came to the quidditch pitch, and Harry could have died.

He hoped Harry enjoyed the new broomstick as some small apology for never being there.

But at least Moony was doing well. Good job, good life. Probably not a mate and pups, because Hogwarts professors never did… but there was still time for his old friend. Maybe he could figure out how to get the cat to visit Moony. It was a smart cat, even if it was just a cat, not really pack. But he had never liked a cat before, even James and Lily's.

*Harry*

Hermione had betrayed him. She meant well, but she always thought that she knew so much more- so much better than everyone else. The Firebolt was fine, he was sure of it. But would it be when he got it back?

He didn't care where it came from. He didn't just get thinks like that- no one did. He had the right to try it out, even if it wasn't the best idea. And Ron was mad at her too, and she was avoiding them both.

No family, no godfather, down to one friend. Not his best Christmas, and he really hadn't had many good ones to compare to.

*Draco*

Just because he was home, it didn't mean that he was happy. He had had a great childhood with everything he had wanted- except for a little brother or sister, but Mother said they had tried. He decided that he was glad after that, that he didn't have to share his parents, his things with anyone. But it would have been nice to share the attention sometimes. In that big, empty house.

Mother was thrilled to have him home, and father- loved him very much as well.

Draco had thought the house had been tense after his first year, but it was nothing compared to after his second.

His father had had something to do with whatever was happening at Hogwarts that ended with the little Wealey's capture, Potter's miraculous rescue of her, and enough points to ensure that Gryffindor won the House Cup again. A much at the last parts angered him… it didn't sit well with him thinking- knowing- that his father had been the cause. When they already had everything so good, why risk it all? How could he be sure that whatever it was wouldn't be a danger to _him_ as well?

And he hated all the Weasleys- and Potter, and Granger, and believed that everyone who wasn't a Slytherin pureblood didn't deserve to be at the school- but they didn't have to be dead.

He had hidden in his room for much of the summer, hadn't intended to come home for winter at all, but his mother had begged- _cried,_ even come to Hogsmeade in person to ask. He hadn't had a choice.

 **A/N: Switched up a few things this year, including Draco even though he is at home- because the world does get more complicated as we age, doesn't it? And in including two small sections for Harry, to show his thoughts at two key parts of the break, and ones for Moony and Padfoot.**

 **Next chapter is a little less straight forward to write- please let me know who you would like to see included, and I will add them if I feel like it fits (if I haven't already written a piece for them).**


	4. 1994

1994

*Harry*

Harry ignored the single tissue he received from the Dursleys, and tried to focus instead on the last time he saw Dudley, with the near-floor-length tongue. That didn't hurt.

Everyone else was great. That sweater from Mrs. Weasley with the dragon on it… Each year that he got one, he almost felt like he belonged as part of them. He shouldn't complain. They'd been great. And now he had Sirius too. Sirius who had risked coming closer to Hogwarts to be nearer to Harry, even though he really shouldn't have.

Harry spent so much time pitying himself. Because he hadn't gotten to take the girl he had wanted to the ball. Because every year or so, most of the castle decided they hated him. Because someone, or more than one someone, was trying to kill him.

Really, when he thought about it, compared to people trying to kill him, not having a family really shouldn't… be that important.

*Hermione*

In some ways, this winter had been easier. Her parents had a school document mentioning the Yule Ball, supplying her with ample reason to stay at the castle.

And a boy- an older, interesting, accomplished young man, really- he had to be to have been to be chosen as a Triwizard Champion- had asked her to the ball.

She felt like a could-be princess in those fairy tales that she liked when she was very young. She had _only_ liked them because they were interesting and many of them had magic, of course. Of course. They were silly really. Like the one with the smart girl who changed the heart of a beast. But that was illogical, and she knew better.

Hermione Granger was not going to mope because stupid _Ron Weasley_ barely even noticed she was a girl.

She was putting all of this effort dressing up for Krum, not Ron. _No_. She was dressing up for herself- that was the correct, empowered thing to do. But she still felt like the worst of girls from those fairy tales.

*Ron*

Ron was sick of being poor.

That was really what his stupid fight with Harry had been about, more than anything else. He hadn't truly believed that Harry would… put his name in for the tournament, especially without telling Ron how to do it too… but everyone was saying it, and it did seem crazy that anything else could be true.

He had been jealous.

Harry had so much money. And was famous. And was really good at quidditch. And he was even better at school work than Ron was, even though Harry didn't try any harder. And when Harry did try, he could do crazy powerful stuff like the patronus charm. And Ron knew that Harry didn't… care about any of that stuff- except the spells and the quidditch- but…

Ron knew he had always had a problem with jealousy. But he had always been overshadowed by five older brothers who were all great at their own things, and his little sister was the only girl in generations and… he was just there.

And then he became friends with the most famous wizard anywhere near their age and… how could he _not_ be jealous?

As Ron looked at his terrible robes that were maybe ten times his age… he just really wished his family had money, and that was what the Triwizard Tournament had meant to him- on top of the amazing glory and adoration and all- he liked the sound of that too.

Not that he thought _he_ would have had any chance of winning. He thought for a bit that maybe the twins… but they were a team anyway, he couldn't really see one being picked over the other or them doing that spectacularly on their own. They were never as good at family quidditch when they weren't on the same team.

And now he had to go to a stupid ball with a girl he didn't even really know, but if Padma was anything like Parvati, she was going to think he looked terrible in his sloppily altered robes. At least most of the ruffles were gone.

*Barty Crouch Sr.*

All my fault. All my fault. All my fault. All my fault.

 _Who?_ _What?_

It would really feel like Christmas when Barty Jr. got home. Willa would be so happy to see him. She gets sad when he is away at Hogwarts and Barty is working.

*Sirius*

Cold, even when he was Padfoot most of the time. Hungry, so hungry. Planning to steal some old lady's Christmas dinner. Numbly watching the holiday cheer. He needed to have stayed in a nice, warm, non-extradition country, but Harry needed him. It was just that he barely felt closer to Harry here in this cave. It almost tempted him to go to the shack, but the place was… tainted now- like it always had been for Remus.

Remus. They had been in contact once. Remus had offered to put him up in whatever hovel he was currently inhabiting, but that would just put his last friend in danger. And Remus was already miserable enough.

*Alastor*

He had tried to measure the time based on when he was fed or when the scum came to collect more hair, but nothing was consistent, especially his own sleep. He wouldn't have known except the escapee had cackled "Happy Christmas" in Alastor's own heartless voice.

He didn't have a family to notice something was wrong, to miss him at the holidays. He had liked training new aurors, almost feeling like they were… It was why he had accepted Albus's offer despite what happened to all the previous professors.

But apparently his _old friend_ Albus who trusted him so much that he _needed_ him to teach- wasn't the man he claimed to be. Didn't notice when his old friend wasn't the same person. Was Alastor Moody really that mad, that no one knew him?

If he lived, he would be now.

*Kairi Petit*- one of many unnamed Beauxbatons students

English was a vulgar language, and she was trapped in this place. And she had thought winters at _Beaubatons_ to be unpleasantly cold.

Pretending to support _Fleur_ when the girl got everything she wanted and was an embarrassment to the school with her poor performance in the first task. The _child_ had done better than she.

Kairi was jeopardizing her studies for a thing she did not care about, and she wasn't allowed to go back to her own school. She could be walking around the almost empty castle like each year, but instead she was practically confined to the enlarged but not enough- carriage. Because she had to stay to watch. To "cheer on their _Champion_."

And the boys weren't even cute, and they all fawned over _Fleur_ anyway. Just like every boy had for the past six years. She was not the prettiest in her family. Not even close to the prettiest at Beauxbatons. Not _worthy_ of being the Champion from Beauxbatons even though she would do it much better. Practically invisible.

*Igor*

Hogwarts was the safest place for him, wasn't it? The safest he could be to avoid everything Severus had been saying.

If he could ignore the warmth, sometimes faint burning on his arm. The blackening mark. How long could he make it if he ran? If he stayed, how long could he keep up this sham? And no one knew the death that would come upon them all. No one knew except for Severus and the others. The children were dancing and having little spats. Not knowing that the worst Dark Lord of their time was coming back to power, and likely all of them would be dead. So who cared about an inane competition for children?

*Draco*

It was nice to have an excuse to stay at Hogwarts that winter.

And Pansy Parkinson was… appreciative company even if she wasn't really Malfoy marriage material.

It wasn't fair that Potter was in the competition. Not that Draco wanted to be in it. He had even intended to support Krum over that Hufflepuff Diggory, until _Potter_ was in the thing. Potter who got everything, when Draco's life was starting to feel so complicated.

Draco wasn't sure how or when he first heard that his father was a Death Eater. Maybe he just saw the tattoo and asked about it, but it was probably more than that. His parents denied it of course, said that his father was under a powerful spell to do terrible things. Because they were smart enough to tell a small child the same thing that they told to the public.

But at some point, he learned that the Death Eaters didn't really believe in terrible things. They believed that wizards were superior to muggles, and the more wizard blood you had, the better you were. These were the same things he believed, that his family believed. They only made sense.

And at some point, little things slipped. He saw the room under the drawing room, saw the cloak and mask. Knew that his father had something to do with what had happened to the Weasley girl and the other students… knew that his father was one of the men running around under those masks at the World Cup…

But why?

It was one thing to _believe_ those things. Wizarding superiority only made sense. But why act on them in that way, especially now? You-Know-Who was dead, and the Malfoy name had managed somehow to come out relatively unscathed.

They needed to just quietly think whatever they wanted and not do anything about it. This little voice that he tried to ignore asked him if mudbloods were so inferior, why couldn't he beat damned Granger on anything other than flying?

 **A/N: Draco is such an interesting character. I am rather partial to the character, and explored some possible changes to him over time in my long story, Morphed Secrets. I also have a different, many-years-later- Dramione fic.**

 **Let me know who you hope to see in the next chapter!**


	5. 1995

1995

*Hermione*

"Everyone who's serious about the exams is staying at Hogwarts to study."* The lie she told her parents.

"Well, to tell you the truth, skiing's not _really_ my thing."* The stretch of the truth she told Harry.

She didn't like skiing, but there were plenty of enjoyable things to do in such a place. Hermione loved the mountains and the quaint town her parents were visiting. And as if they wouldn't have gone anywhere else if Hermione had voiced an opinion any of the dozens of times they had asked. No, eventually her parents just gave up and picked a place, and weren't surprised when Hermione made an excuse to have to stay in school.

And then Mr. Weasley was injured and she followed the Weasleys to Grimmauld Place instead. This seemed even more like betraying her family, but Hermione quieted those thoughts.

Harry was obviously in distress, and the Weasleys were all in upheaval. She needed to be with her friends.

*Harry*

He was a monster.

No wonder the headmaster didn't look him in the eye- Dumbledore was afraid of what he might see.

Harry had _wanted_ to bite Mr. Weasley. He saw it happen, and it felt real. He _was_ the snake, Voldemort's snake. He had a connection to Voldemort, and maybe they were similar. Tom Riddle had said so in Harry's second year. Maybe now Dumbledore finally agreed.

He had been in Harry's head, in his dreams. Harry was starting to be afraid to go to sleep.

Ginny had been a help, telling him that he hadn't been possessed like she had been, but there was still something there… something he could for the most part ignore when everyone was awake and moving, but it got to him at night.

Only Sirius would help then, the man who never seemed to be asleep. But his godfather was so happy to have them all there that Harry tried not to spoil the time.

*Aaron Warner*-unnamed new werewolf in St. Mungo's

His own mother was afraid of him. None of his family trusted him. No one had visited.

And to have the healers and that man- Weasley, with the dozen concerned family members- tell him that it would be okay, that he could still have a "relatively normal life…" He didn't want to hear it.

And for Christmas, the Weasley man's werewolf friend tried to cheer him up. But _he_ didn't say "normal" or "easy" or even give any real reasons that life was still worth living. This man looked way to worn for that.

But he did say that it could get better. And he was just supposed to take this guy's word for it?

Aaron didn't _trust_ werewolves. He hated werewolves, thought they were inhuman beasts. If they were all killed, they couldn't infect innocent others. Some monster probably heard him saying it drunk in a pub and stalked him, bit him for it. And now he was supposed to change his tune and buddy up to this old, beaten down-looking man just because they were both monsters?

How long could he stay in St. Mungo's before he got kicked out? The hospital would release him before the next full moon for sure. And then would his family take him back in?

*Augusta Longbottom*

The boy was _ashamed_ of his parents. After all they had done for him! She would need to have a long conversation with Neville when they had more privacy.

His father was the greatest auror of his age, promising, heroic. The sort a mother was terrified for but terribly proud of. And Alice had been a good girl.

*Remus*

Seeing that poor young man, freshly bitten, only the one scar so far... Remus almost couldn't bare it. It was his worse fear to infect someone else with this affliction, and to see someone with a whole career ahead of him, now so limited… The boy couldn't have been more than a handful of years past Hogwarts age, early twenties still.

But a lot could happen before that age decisions. Lily and James were already dead. Sirius in jail, Peter a traitor. Remus alone and usually out of work.

Even now, when he had a mission from Dumbledore and a room in the house of his friend whenever he wanted it… and an intriguing young woman that Remus couldn't quite convince himself wasn't flirting with him… he still felt terribly alone.

*Neville*

He _wasn't_ ashamed of his parents. They were the bravest people he would ever meet. They really were. He just… didn't like talking about them, about what had happened to them, and seeing the curiosity… like with Ron. Neville could tell that Ron wanted to ask questions, and probably would if Neville's grandmother hadn't been there. But even worse was the pity rolling off the others.

This was his normal life. He visited his parents frequently on the school holidays, and they'd been like that for as long as he could remember, no hope of recovery. Christmas on the long-term ward, every year that he could remember. It had gotten worse since Lockheart became a resident, with his irritating personality. But what would Neville give to have his parents be _only_ that crazy?

*Molly*

Molly Weasley sobbed over the Weasley jumper with the "P" that she had knitted into it with love. Her third baby, Percy, wasn't speaking to the family, and her husband was in the hospital. And even if Bill was closer to home now, Charlie was still so far away.

Her mother had always told her that motherhood required more strength than anything else, and it was a noble profession, but Molly hadn't really believed it at the time. She wondered if by her not working and by them having so many children, they were jeopardizing their financial situation more than they could bear. Now she mourned the her mother more than ever.

*Ginny*

She was fine. She was strong. She wasn't a weak little victim or the little girl who fawned over a boy that she looked up to as a hero- who really was a hero too.

Ginny thought of her first year as little as possible, but this holiday, it was coming back clearly at every turn. Her father was attacked by a snake, and now was only alive because Harry had done something to save him.

Harry was thinking he was being possessed- which he definitely wasn't…..

And they were all stuck in this old, creepy house that just reeked of Slytherin instead of the nice, warm, Burrow.

And Percy wasn't talking to them and had sent back his Weasley jumper. And seeing Neville and hearing about his family made her think about how she should just be thankful for everything she had. Because Neville, the sweet boy who had awkwardly asked her to the Yule Ball last year, and she had only accepted because otherwise she wouldn't be able to go at all. And- that nice boy was basically an orphan, just like Harry. And just like Tom.

*Sirius*

He needed to get himself together. This was the greatest Christmas he'd had in well over a decade, and he still wasn't satisfied.

He had his old friend Moony and his little cousin Nymphy (though she'd skin him like a cat if he called her that) over frequently, and Harry and the Weasleys there for their holiday. And yet all he could think about was how miserable he'd be when they all left him again.

It was perfect. Almost perfect- Snivellus would still show his greasy head sometimes. And Kreacher hadn't curled up and died yet, as far as Sirius knew. But other than that, he really had nothing to complain about. And he hadn't seen Kreacher in a while, so it was possible that he was even lucky there.

*Draco*

He had gone to some lengths to ensure that he stayed at the castle to "study for OWLs" and not even have his lemmings, Crabbe and Goyle, following him around.

Now, in his empty dormitory, he just felt lonelier than expected. It wasn't like he was used to constant attention. He was raised by the house elf as much as by his own parents, even though they were very loving, just… busy. And now that he was older and his mother was desperate to hold onto his childhood, and his father thought they needed to have… very serious conversations, Draco wanted to stay at school more urgently than ever.

Draco would deal with the lonely boredom.

 **A/N: This was another chapter that was hard to pick people for. Let me know who you would like to see next chapter.**


	6. 1996

1996

*Hermione*

"Granger, what are you doing here? Your little friends left. What, they didn't want you this year?" Draco Malfoy taunted.

What was _he_ doing here?

"My parents went skiing, and skiing's not really my thing," Hermione said. It was what she had said the year before, a half-truth then, outright lie now, but it wasn't like she was lying to someone who mattered. Why was he even asking? Why did she answer?

He actually laughed, " _Liar_ ," he muttered, walking away from her.

Her inconsiderate feet followed him, "Excuse me? Who are you to be calling _me_ a liar?

"I didn't say anything," he said, still walking.

"Hey," she practically shouted, running to stand in front of him. This was insane. If Harry was right, Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater. At best, he was an irritating person whose father was definitely a Death Eater. And she was taunting him. "You're one to talk. You're here too. I thought you felt _sorry_ for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas." She had too big of a mouth.

" _Back off_ ," Malfoy snapped. "Just because you- what, remember something I said as a _first_ _year_ , and you clearly have parent issues, doesn't mean I'm going to tell you anything. You had better remember who you're talking to."

How had her… whatever Draco was, childhood enemy, she supposed- been more perceptive than her best friends? She reminded herself to stick to Gryffindor Tower or the library for the remainder of the holiday between meals.

Draco seemed to keep to himself as well, not even going to Christmas dinner.

*Harry*

Looking at the sweater, he almost felt like he belonged.

Maybe that was why he hated seeing Ginny with Dean Thomas as much as he did. He just… had sort of thought for a while in the back of his mind that they would end up together, married one day, when he dared picture a future where he lived long enough to even graduate Hogwarts. And then he'd really be a part of the Weasley family. But he hadn't paid her any attention when she was young and fawning over him, and now she'd moved on. And she… grew up to be someone pretty great, just someone not interested in him.

It just showed how he always messed stuff up. He had gone out with Cho when she clearly wasn't over Cedric- how could she have been? He should have asked out Ginny instead. Should have asked her to the ball in fourth year too. Should have been nicer even when she was just a kid- maybe he would have realized something was wrong with her in her first year, and really saved her. He was always messing up.

*Percy*

He was scum. Harry wasn't lying, about You-Know-Who being back, or about any of it. This was the kid who had run after a basilisk to save Percy's little sister, who'd been Ron's best friend from their first ride on the Hogwarts Express. The kid who couldn't leave behind a little French girl that he didn't know in a sanctioned Triwizard Task event wasn't going to kill Cedric Diggory to get the prize money to himself. And if Harry didn't kill Diggory, then Harry's story was the one that made the most sense.

Percy knew all of this, but he was too far gone, even by then. He was a Ministry man.

For all that Harry had done amazing things, he was still just a kid. The Ministry was where the real power was. Even if they were currently denying You-Know-Who's return… they'd find out eventually, and until then, there was nothing _he_ could do about it except rise through the ranks. It was what was best… for everyone.

But seeing his mother cry like that… seeing his siblings truly hate him… even little Ginny… made Percy wonder if he was really only doing what was best for himself.

*Molly*

A mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child. Or less. But it was still better to see him, even if it broke her heart. To have most of her babies under her roof, even if they were fighting. Harry was hers now too, and whatever the Minister had planned, she didn't like it.

Her family was so big, it felt sometimes like that just meant she had more to lose. So many of them had been close. Arthur just last Christmas, Bill was safer now, maybe, but he was getting involved with the Order now. Charlie still with those dragons. Percy. She sometimes had no idea what the twins were doing. Ron, because he was always with Harry. Ginny in her first year, and the three of hers that went to the Ministry in June. Because Harry _was_ hers, even more clearly with Sirius gone.

Sirius. They had fought often, and she had wished that the irresponsible man wasn't leading her Harry into more danger, but she never would have wished this. What were the odds that all of her children, as involved as they were, would make it through this… war- alive?

Percy was probably safest away from them, as much as that hurt her too.

*Draco*

He couldn't do anything to the Headmaster over Christmas holiday, he had argued. There were too few people around for him to not be a suspect when he succeeded. But he had still had the vanishing cabinet. The complex magical artifact that he had no real training in repairing. How did anyone learn anything useful to do with magic? Hogwarts was busy teaching stupid subjects that didn't matter.

And with the holiday almost over, he would have to face everything again. He _had_ to, or his father- his mother. There was much more than personal glory on his back.

*Severus*

Draco wouldn't listen to him, wouldn't let him help. He'd gotten to be as bad as Potter. Neither boy would like the comparison.

Draco didn't have the spirit of a Death Eater. But many of them didn't at that age, and they learned- lessons he never wanted for Draco. Idiot sixteen-year-olds. The year age that Severus had thrown his life away as well, not yet a Death Eater then, but close enough. That was when Lily saw him for what he was.

The boy hadn't even come to Christmas dinner, so Severus had sat through it for nothing. He wasn't sure why he did that each year. What could Albus really do to him now if he refused? Severus was already tasked with killing the man. How much more could he suffer for the mistakes he made starting at age sixteen or before. Perhaps he had always been cursed. Appropriate that he would finally get the cursed Defense Against the Dark Arts position that he had asked for for so long, though his requests were more out of habit in later years. Albus too knew that Severus wouldn't survive the end, possibly not even the year. But Albus wouldn't either.

*Hermione*

"I got back a couple of hours ago…"*

It was another lie. But thankfully Harry and the Weasleys came back after the Hogwarts Express, or it would be much more difficult to fool them. Luckily, no one else paid enough attention to her to notice. How _lucky_ that everyone ignored her unless she were with Harry or if they needed something from her. Except apparently Draco Malfoy noticed her.

 **A/N: Tell me who you would like to see next chapter!**


	7. 1997

1997

*Hermione*

How many hours had she spent hating Ron?

Hating Harry?

Hating herself?

Wondering what her parents were doing in their warm, summer in Australia without her- because of her? She had never valued their time together as much as she should have. Ever since coming to Hogwarts, she had hated any time spent away from the wizarding world and avoided them for most Christmas holidays and large portions of the summer ones. Because they wouldn't "understand her" or would try to stop her from living her dangerous life. And they would have been right.

She and Harry were supposed to be saving the wizarding world of Britain- maybe entire muggle and magical world if it got bad enough. But mostly, they were just running aimlessly and hiding. And now they weren't even talking as they ran around hiding.

She wondered how Victor was in Bulgaria. Surely the drastic political changes had been noticed by other governments? Had Dumbledore known any more than he told Harry? If so, then why didn't he tell him more? Or better, why didn't he tell Professor McGonagall, and anyone else in the Order that he was sure he could trust? Of course, the man had trusted _Snape_ and died for it.

*Lavender*

Everyone thought that Neville was so good with the room, but she had been the one to turn that awful loo around. _And_ she made the beds better.

But she couldn't make the room give her grandmother's Christmas dinner. Or even her mother's poor imitation, which Lavender swore to appreciate if she ever tasted again.

They could escape to Hogsmeade if they wanted to, but where was there to go? Her parents didn't answer her owls, so where were they? Gone somewhere without her maybe. She had an aunt in Italy, maybe there. Most of the others in the Room of Requirement were like her too. Hoping that they were only abandoned, not orphans.

She talked to the younger years a lot, mostly the girls, more often as the holidays approached. And because fewer of them were going to classes anymore. There was way too much time spent in that room, even if it was the most enchanted room in the castle. But talking to them, helping the younger students feel better, made Lavender feel less like a coward for hiding in the room.

She fled the first time she was burned. The small, lingering mark, bothered her more than the Cruciatus, and she had sufferred that too. Even though she was a pureblood- or pure enough by most standards.

But still, all the girls under fourteen all seemed to have developed crushes on Neville Longbottom… and admittedly not without reason.

*Dean*

His dad was his dad, the man who married his mum and raised Dean.

Dean had never really wondered about the man who just happened to have married his mum first, stayed long enough to get Dean's mother pregnant, and then ran off. He didn't think much about him anyway. Maybe Dean wondered sometimes. It would be nice to at least know the man's name if he was a wizard, so maybe Dean wouldn't be running for his life. Maybe his dad- his first dad, his other dad- had had a reason to run too.

Maybe now that he was older, Dean did need to know, but he probably never would.

He'd just stay on the run until the snatchers caught him, and then he'd go wherever they were keeping the other muggleborns, unless he got singled out for being a Gryffindor in the wrong year.

Not that Dean wanted to prove that he was half-blood just so he could be accepted by people like _Umbitch_. But he did wonder if everything was still alright at Hogwarts. How Seamus was, and the others. All the friends he had in the world. And what would his mum, dad, and little sisters think if he never came home?

*Ron*

What _wouldn't_ he give to be in the middle of some freezing forest somewhere with that damned horcrux instead of in front of the fire in this cottage by the sea with his oldest brother and his sister-in-law? His uncomfortably gorgeous sister-in-law who he had made a fool of himself around for years. And Bill and Fluer barely tolerated him being there. They knew he was scum for abandoning his friends, even if they didn't know the full story.

Ron knew that all of his family was alive. That was the only comfort, even if he couldn't see them even for Christmas. And Harry and Hermione had to be alive too, or the Ministry would be screaming about it. But they would never love and accept Ron again after what he did. He hoped they were at least happy together.

*Luna*

She carefully counted the days as well as she could to be sure she knew when it was Christmas.

It would help Mr. Ollivander to know too. He had it worse, really.

And Father. Father would be so upset without her. He had never been the same after Mother died, but Christmases were the closest to him being okay, but he wouldn't be without her.

It had been selfish of her to leave Neville and the others to spend Christmas with her father. Ginny left as well, and Luna felt that her friend would not be returning if she made it safely home. And then Neville would be more alone. But he was strong, stronger than anyone thought.

So she would be strong too, for Mr. Olivander. She would say her happy, strange things that helped keep her cheerful, and hope that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were out there saving them all. She could tell at the wedding that they would leave on an important quest.

So nice to have been invited to the wedding when she hardly knew the groom, and didn't know the bride at all. They would have pretty children.

*Seamus*

He remembered when a banshee was his worst fear, and he had never even met one.

Now he was afraid that his Mum and Dad would get found. Being married to a muggle wasn't okay anymore because some Death Eater bigots in the Ministry said so.

But he still went to classes, the ones that weren't taught by Death Eaters anyway. He'd get hit or worse for the classes he missed, but he wouldn't sit through that and act like he respected them like he did McGonagall or Flitwick, or even _Trelawney_.

Students, especially the younger ones, looked up to anyone who had been in the DA. And even though Seamus barely deserved to call himself that, since he only came around and believed Harry in time to go to one meeting, he would do his best to live up to the name. And if that involved getting hit, then they'd probably hurt someone else if it wasn't him. It was nicer in the holiday, because he mostly was in the Room of Requirement, because it was safer even than Gryffindor Tower. But when it was over, he'd go back to class, because it was something he could do.

*Draco*

Malfoy Manor had to be the only place on earth worse than Hogwarts. But when he was at school, he thought the opposite. Everything around him there was a sign of his guilt. Albus Dumbledore dead, somehow both his burden for it happening, and his failure for not having the… will to do it himself.

But the Manor… it wasn't home anymore. He tried not to know everything that went on, but her knew that strange girl, one of Potter's friends, was in their basement, practically a dungeon. Of course, he _lived_ in a dungeon most of the time at Hogwarts, but it wasn't the same. And he thought there were others in their basement too, but he avoided the place so that he could pretend he didn't know.

His father tried to protect Draco, but only his mother was any real comfort- the only non- Death Eater in the house.

Except the prisoners.

And when _He_ was there, it was almost unimaginably worse.

And Aunt Bellatrix was nearly always there, and she was bad enough.

Mother loved her sister, but would have hated her had they not been blood. But they didn't talk about the other sister who shared her blood, the one that Draco hadn't even known about for most of his life. But he thought his mother loved even her.

Love didn't make there not be pain.

*Ginny*

Ginny hated her family for telling her she couldn't go back to Hogwarts. She hated Ron and Harry for leaving her out of their adventure, for not wanting to put her in _danger_. She didn't blame Hermione as much somehow.

She hated herself for being _happy_ that she was with most of her family and mostly safe, but that was a lie too.

She needed to _do_ something! Something had happened to Luna on the train, when Luna was supposed to be safe too. Snatchers got her, but she wasn't a muggleborn, so it had to be something worse.

Ginny had snuck out to tell Mr. Lovegood the next morning, because he needed to know where his daughter was, even though Ginny hadn't seen him at the train station. Maybe she had never seen him there. But even as she told him, he seemed distracted.

*Neville*

He didn't know what was happening to his parents. He always saw them this time of year, usually a few times during the break. They were probably fine. St. Mungo's had to keep running. But if the Death Eaters controlled the Ministry… then surely they controlled the hospital as well. And what would they think of a pair of disabled former aurors with a personal past with a number of high ranking Death Eaters?

He had tried to hear news. There was supposed to be a portrait in the Headmaster's office that had another portrait in St. Mungo's, but… that hadn't worked. But if he were a better son, he would still be trying every day until he knew, one way or the other. It had been a while since he had heard from his grandmother too, but she was tough. Surely tough enough.

He had so many things that he had to do. It wasn't safe for many of the students to go home, for them even to leave the Room of Requirement, and he needed to look after them all. This was his room, his castle, his duty. After more than six years of searching for a place to fit in at Hogwarts, he found where he belonged.

*Severus*

When this was over, he was going to hell. And that sounded more restful than this life. Here, he saw Minerva, Filius, most of the staff that had taught him as a child and tolerated him as a fellow teacher, now despising him. It was just as well that he had cancelled Christmas dinner. Severus had spent the majority of the Christmases in his life at Hogwarts, and though he wasn't usually sentimental about it, this was the first one when there weren't twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall.

There would be no one to celebrate anyway, with most children at home or elsewhere fleeing the Ministry. Most of the rest were hidden in that room that Potter held his little club in two years ago. The little idiots thought they were _so_ hidden. And Severus couldn't even drink until he didn't feel anything anymore, because he always had to be alert, or his death and others' would come all the faster.

*Harry*

He had been so stupid. It seemed perfect, all of it. Godric's Hollow for Christmas, seeing the house… their graves… Ignotus Peverell. Finding someone who could actually help them… only to fall into a trap.

He had lost so many things, and he hadn't had much that mattered to him in the first place. And now his wand…

It was Dumbledore's fault for giving them such a task. For not being as perfect and all-knowing as he seemed. For being dead and leaving Harry even more alone.

And Ron was gone, probably enjoying Christmas at the Burrow. A family Christmas, just like he… wished he could have. With Ginny and _their_ family. But messing things up with Ginny had been Harry's own stupid fault too. And driving away Ron because Harry had no idea what he was supposed to be doing. And _wearing_ the stupid horcrux, whose idea had that been? That must have been Harry's fault too.

 **A/N: Thank you! I will make one more entry just so it doesn't end here.**


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue

*****1998*****

*Hermione*

"Granger, what is it this year, skiing still not your thing?" Draco Malfoy asked her.

Why was _he_ here? His father was out of Azkaban, both of his parents were in France last Hermione had heard. Hermione wasn't even sure why he was back at Hogwarts at all. They hadn't spoken all year. Their classes were mixed up, about half of their year back, taking classes with some of the year below. Half of the school hadn't been at Hogwarts the year before, and the ones who had been there, even all of the year, hadn't gotten to learn very much. No one had taken exams with the battle and the repairs to the castle.

But maybe now she didn't feel like lying anymore. "I'm leaving soon, going to the Burrow. I didn't feel like taking the train. And my parents are in Australia. I erased their memories and sent them there so they'd be safe a year and a half ago. But I haven't gone to look for them yet, because I don't know what to tell them," she said. People usually didn't mention it, and when they did, she said she was working on it.

"What the hell, Granger!" Malfoy shot back. "Go find your parents."

"Why do you care?"

"Why are you telling me? Something else you want to blame on me? Draco Malfoy got Albus Dumbledore killed. The whole damn war was Draco Malfoy's fault. One hundred seventy four deaths."

"It wasn't- nearly that many," Hermione found herself saying. There were only- fifty something, Hermione didn't really know.

"Oh wasn't it? Don't could Death Eater deaths, do you? And the other followers? Maybe those werewolves didn't feel like they had a choice. And those two giants' bodies were so hard to get rid of. I even counted the acromantulas. What about the house elves? You wanted to free them so badly, did you know that four of them died? And three centaurs. And everyone could see that dead thestral, but maybe it was just because we'd all seen death by then. And Crabbe was an idiot, but I got him killed. And now I'm responsible for taking your family away too? They aren't _dead_ , just go find them, Granger," Draco said. This was probably about as many words than they had said directly to each other in seven years combined, and most of those were fights.

"It's not your fault," Hermine said. "None of it was."

"That's not what a lot of people think," he replied.

"It doesn't matter. You were just a kid. We were all just kids. It's entirely Voldemort's fault. Don't flinch. No one has to be scared by that name anymore. And you helped us," Hermione said. "When you didn't identify Harry, so Voldemort didn't come. We'd probably all be dead without you, and Voldemort on his way to literally ruling the world. It's why I said that at your trial, but I never told you thank you. So thank you."

"You were _tortured_. In my house. By my aunt. You should hate me," Draco said, almost instructed.

"But I don't. I don't blame you. And you shouldn't blame yourself either. I've had to tell Harry that many times."

"Potter blames me?" Draco Malfoy asked. Hermione couldn't read his tone.

"No, he has blamed himself. Which is no better or worse than you blaming yourself."

"If you're so- recovered from our terrible childhoods, then why haven't you gone to find your parents yet?" he asked. They weren't really looking at each other now. They'd both… shared too much.

Why stop now? It was sometimes easier to talk to someone who didn't care about you. "Because I'm afraid they won't forgive me," she admitted.

"That- is the stupidest thing you might have ever said, Granger. They'll forgive you. They're your _parents_. And your too damned mentally healthy and well-adjusted to not have parents who loved you. Even my father loves me, and he's a murderer."

"Happy Christmas," Hermione said. Because she didn't have an answer. But Draco Malfoy had made her feel better.

*Lavender*

Mum said she should consider herself lucky that most of the scars are so easy to cover up, if Lavender didn't insist on, "baring your midsection in the middle of winter!" as her mother liked to say.

But Lavender wouldn't do it. She like the scars and showing them off. She had spent too much of her life trying to look perfectly groomed and sucking in the small stomach that she had. No more.

She was never sure that she belonged in Gryffindor until that day. And she knew how lucky she was to be alive, and would mourn those who weren't. And Hermione Granger saved her, that stupid fight they'd had for Ron Weasley so meaningless in comparison to their struggle. They were all just fighting together. Defenders of Hogwarts. Survivors.

So she _wouldn't_ put on that oversized jumper, and her mum would have to get over it.

*Dennis*

The first of everything is the hardest, Dennis reminded myself. Making it through what should have been Colin's seventeenth birthday- that was the very hardest. At least with Christmas, there were a few more distractions.

Dad always knew that his boys were different. When he and Colin ran out the door on that day in early May, unsure of how they would get back to Hogwarts on their own... They had said that they had to help some friends who were in trouble.

Dennis couldn't go home that day or the next, because then he would have to explain to his dad.

Going to school in September hurt them both so much again. He was really leaving his dad alone. But sometimes when Dennis buried himself studying for OWLs, he could forget. And sometimes when he looked at some of the pictures that Colin had taken, it didn't hurt quite as much, and he could remember the good parts too.

*Harry*

He was happy, and that was wrong. He was an _auror_ , Hermione and Ginny were back from Hogwarts, and Ginny was looking at him all the time. He had a flat with Ron but they both ended up at the Burrow most of the time when they weren't doing auror work. And Ginny was looking at him and smiling a _lot_. They weren't… officially dating yet, but she wasn't seeing anyone else- and they'd kissed again. Hermione and Ron seemed to be getting along well too.

But Fred was dead, and so many others were too. How could he be happy?

Andromeda said that they'd want us to be happy. Harry went to see her and Teddy a few times a week. Teddy could say "Harry" and chase after him like crazy. Harry had gotten Teddy his first broom for Christmas, like Harry had a picture of himself riding at about that age. Harry had never been more excited to give anything, and hoped the tiny boy liked it. The little boy with blue hair most of the time, though it was naturally a sandy blond like his father's. Sometimes when Harry was around, he made it black.

No one knew what to say at Christmas, especially to George and Mrs. Weasley, but they were all there, together and trying.

*****1999*****

*Hermione*

A new millennium almost upon them- sort of. 2001 was arguably the start of the next millennium, and any ordering system of time was arbitrary to begin with but-

She had her family back with her, her parents. And after the Weasley gathering, she and Ron were going over to her parents' house for them to meet Ron. It wasn't the house of her childhood. Someone else owned that now, thanks to Hermione. But her parents were safe and had forgiven her. Just like someone told her they would. Ron had met her parents before, but not like this. Not when he was being introduced as a _boyfriend_. Because they were dating, she and Ron. And they were surprisingly happy. Ron was trying very hard, and Hermione was happy. She was working almost constantly at the Ministry, but she was challenged, fulfilled. And sometimes when he was free for lunch, he'd come by her tiny office and convince her to be free too. Hermione needed that to not go completely crazy.

Everyone was still hurting, but they'd all be okay.

*Draco*

It was Astoria's last year in school. Then she would go to work at the Ministry, and they would announce their engagement the next December. They would have a one year engagement and be married by the next Christmas. Mother already had a venue reserved. And he and Astoria were part of the decisions. Astoria did not intend to stop working as soon as she was married. And they wanted to wait some time before they had kids. To make sure they could still stand each other… But this wasn't some closed-door arrangement behind their backs.

Draco enjoyed spending time with Astoria. She was just young enough not to have really been involved in it all. She had kept her head down that awful year, but didn't have anything to be ashamed of. And she told Draco that he had done the best that he could in an impossible situation. She wasn't the first to have told Draco that, but with enough repetition, he was starting to believe it.

*Harry*

Molly- it still felt weird calling Mrs. Weasley that- was happy. And most of it, Harry thought, was thanks to Fleur, the remarkable young woman who Mrs. Weasley once very much wanted out of their lives.

Fleur said that she had quit work because her pregnancy was hard on her, but she seemed to be doing fine, and Harry wondered if it was just to take care of everyone else. She helped with cooking at the Burrow, and she and – Molly – talked all the time. Fleur had recently found out that she was having a girl, due in late April or early May, and it was almost unimaginable to have something to look forward to during that time.

And next Christmas, there would be a new Weasley at the Burrow, not knowing what was going on, but part of a wonderful family, the start of the next generation. It all made Harry a little philosophical, and that was when he missed Dumbledore the most. Because Dumbledore would have said something wise, about new life and celebrating all that they had. But Harry didn't quite have the right words.

But maybe he would be wise and know just what to say when he was that old.

Harry was looking forward to it.

 **A/N: Done. And I feel really good about this one. Thank you for your kind words. If I did write more scenes to this, it would be vaguely epilogue compliant, but not Cursed Child compliant.**


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